1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to gaming devices, methods and systems which provide for the accumulation and awarding of progressive prizes. More particularly it relates to gaming devices, methods and systems which provide for a plurality of mystery progressive jackpot prize levels where jackpot prizes may be awarded and/or amounts from one level can move to another level and for graphics schema to present the progressive prize pools and awards.
2. Background
Various types of gaming devices have been developed with features designed to captivate and maintain player interest. In general, a gaming machine allows a player to play a base game of chance in exchange for a wager. In pay to play (P2P) gaming the wager has value such as wagering currency or credits representing currency. For novelty or “entertainment only” play such as play on a computer or mobile device the wagers are fictitious credits having no redemption value. Las Vegas style slot machines are an example of P2P gaming devices. Depending on the outcome of the base game, the player may be entitled to an award which is awarded to the player by the gaming machine, normally in the form of currency or game credits. Gaming devices may include flashing displays, lighted displays or sound effects to capture a player's interest in a gaming device.
Many modern gaming devices incorporate a secondary, feature or bonus game. These secondary games may be triggered by one or more outcomes from the base game such as, for example, a predefined symbol combination. These types of triggers are sometimes referred to as symbol driven triggers since they are determined by base game symbols. When the symbol combination occurs the gaming device processor enables the display for play of a secondary game. The secondary game may take the form of a number of free plays of the base game, a random selection game where the player selects from displayed offerings to reveal prizes, the play of a secondary game or the like. As described in Lyons, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 8,342,948 titled “System, Apparatus and Method for Saving Game State and For Utilizing States on Different Gaming Devices”, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, the feature or secondary game has an expected value, e.g. what it is expected to pay back to the player.
It is known to provide symbol-triggered progressive prizes. For example gaming devices may be linked on a network and a controller allocates a percentage of at least the jackpot qualifying wagers to a progressive pool. The pool increments typically from a predetermined start or “seed” value based upon the allocations until a player obtains the jackpot winning outcome whereupon the prize is awarded to the player and the progressive pool value resets to its seed value. It has been known to provide multiple symbol-based progressive pools. For example for video Poker it is known to operate a top level progressive pool to be awarded when the player obtain a Royal Flush and perhaps one other second level progressive to be awarded when the player obtains four Aces. Tracy, U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,055 issued May 26, 1992 and titled “Progressive Jackpot Gaming System Linking Gaming Machines with Different Hit Frequencies and Denominations”, discloses linking games with different “architectures” to a symbol-based progressive.
In addition to symbol-triggered progressive jackpots there is also known to provide mystery jackpots to players over and above any awards from the play of the base game or any base game symbol triggered feature. Often these mystery prizes are progressive prizes which may be arranged in and triggered in a variety of manners. For example, in Frankovic et al, Australian Patent 589158 there is disclosed a “coin-in” mystery progressive where for each game playing on the link game the amounts wagered are counted toward a random trigger value. When the count equals or exceeds the trigger value the prize is awarded. As can be seen the awarding of the prize is not related to any symbol trigger. Other examples are Olive, U.S. Pat. No. 7,108,603 issued Sep. 19, 2006 and titled “Slot Machine Game and System with Improved Jackpot Feature” where there is a disclosed networked gaming machines contributing, from the wagers for the play of the base games, to a progressive jackpot. Based upon the value of the wager W at a gaming device to play a base game and the predetermined turnover for the jackpot, a virtual lottery is conducted (out of sight of the player) with each base game play where the odds of winning relate to the wager W and jackpot turnover amount. When the feature is triggered play of a feature game determines the size of the award based upon a score from the feature game. Torango, U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,460 issued Jul. 15, 2003 and titled “Progressive Wagering System” discloses a similar type of “hidden lottery” type of mystery prize. In Acres et al U.S. Reissued Pat. RE38,812, reissued Oct. 4, 2005 and titled Method and Apparatus for operating Networked Gaming Devices”, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, there is disclosed a system based mystery jackpot which is triggered when the contributions from the linked gaming machines cause the progressive pool to reach a selected (and unrevealed) amount.
A drawback to these prior mystery progressive jackpot award techniques is that there is no graphic representation to provide the players with a gauge as to the accumulated value and how near it may be to being awarded. Another drawback is that even where multiple progressives are available to be won a player cannot win all of them simultaneously or portions of multiple mystery progressives simultaneously. Still further there is no mechanism where an award of a mystery prize may include the award of feature play which may be played on a variety of games. Also there is no mechanism by which some or all of the value accumulated into one level of a mystery progressive prize may be rolled into another level of mystery progressive prize to provide a large incremental increase which may push one or more levels of progressive prizes to be awarded.
In a field of gaming unrelated to progressives there is type of game sometimes referred to as a coin pusher game. As example of such a game as “Flip-it”. Broadly this is a mechanical wagering game presenting offset, stacked tiers populated by coins lying flat and grouped on top of each other. Mechanical pushers urge the coins of the tiers toward the edge of the tier. When a player inserts a coin mechanical spinners propel the coin to fall into one of the tiers. The object is to have the inserted coin cause some of the amassed coins to fall from the tiers to a pay-out chute. For example the inserted coin may land in the top tier and, under urging by a pusher, cause a portion of the coins to fall onto the lower tier whose pushers cause coins to fall to the pay-out chute. To provide a profit e.g. rake for the operator some coins may fall from the sides of the tiers into a cashbox. There are few Flip-it games remaining in casino; however they have proven to be an exciting and entertaining game for players since the players can see the interaction of the coins and pushers and see, for example, that a large group of coins are about to be paid.
It would be advantageous to provide some of the concepts of pusher games with the concept of mystery progressives to provide new and exciting features to players.